


Remedial Chaos Theory

by d2fmeasurement



Category: Silicon Valley
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-19
Updated: 2017-03-19
Packaged: 2018-10-07 13:14:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10361298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/d2fmeasurement/pseuds/d2fmeasurement
Summary: Dinesh gets upset during a Pied Piper party. In seven different scenarios, seven different people talk him through it.





	

The Pied Piper team was celebrating a successful launch. Gilfoyle grabbed a bottle of champagne out of his room and brought it out.

“Whoa, Gilfoyle,” Richard said, smiling. “That’s so nice of you.” He looked at Gilfoyle curiously.

“Yeah, we kind of have something else to celebrate tonight,” he said. “I think I’m going to ask Tara to marry me.” 

Among everyone saying ‘congratulations,’ Dinesh said, “What the fuck?”

Gilfoyle looked over at him. “What was that, Dinesh?”

“That’s insane. How many times have you even met each other?” Dinesh asked.

“We talk constantly,” Gilfoyle said.

“It’s not the same. If you’re going to be with someone, don’t you think it should be someone you know you can actually live with?” Dinesh asked. 

“What business is it of yours, Dinesh?” Gilfoyle asked.

“You’re right,” Dinesh said, standing up. “I don’t give a shit if you want to make a giant, shitpile of a mistake.” He went to his room.

“That seemed like an overreaction,” Erlich said. 

“Yes, he did seem very upset,” Jared agreed. 

“Yeah. Maybe… someone should talk to him?” Richard asked uncertainly. Everyone cringed at the idea of having some sort of emotional conversation. Finally, Richard said, “Maybe the only fair thing is to assign everyone a number, then use a random integer generator to decide who speaks to Dinesh.”

Gilfoyle nodded. “Yeah. That’s sound.”

Richard

Richard groaned when his number came up. He wished he hadn’t suggested this idea.

He knocked on Dinesh’s bedroom door.

“Come in,” Dinesh said.

Richard entered and then awkwardly sat down on the bed. “So, um… you seemed very, uh… upset about Gilfoyle’s announcement.”

“I don’t give a shit,” Dinesh said. “I just think it’s objectively a terrible decision.”

“I mean, sure, but… Gilfoyle also sits around taking drugs all day,” Richard said. “And says he doesn’t believe in stop signs.” He frowned, thinking about how that last thing had almost gotten him killed. “So, why is this the terrible decision that makes you run out of the room?”

Dinesh shrugged. “I guess I’m… jealous.”

Richard wrinkled his forehead. “Because Tara’s hot?”

Dinesh rolled his eyes. “And because I’m a couple years older than Gilfoyle is. The idea of one of us being married… I mean, doesn’t it bother you? It’s just a reminder that I haven't reached that benchmark in life. And maybe… maybe I never will. Because I’m so far off from it.”

Richard frowned. “When you put it that way, I’m depressed too. Fuck. Shit. Fuck.”

“Yeah,” Dinesh said. “Exactly.”

Richard shook his head. After a second, he asked, “You want to go back to the living room where the alcohol is?”

“Yeah,” Dinesh said. He stood up, then tilted his head at Richard. “Thanks for coming to talk to me. You’re a really good friend.”

“Yeah, no problem,” Richard said, hoping no one would told him that it was sheer bad luck that had sent him to Dinesh’s room.

2\. Jared

Jared knocked on Dinesh’s door. 

“Come in,” Dinesh said.

Jared walked in. “May I sit?” 

“No,” Dinesh said, just to mess with him.

“Got it,” Jared said. “So, buddy, what’s bothering you?”

Dinesh cringed and said, “Please don’t call me buddy.”

“I’m just concerned, as a friend,” Jared said.

Dinesh shook his head and said, “We’re not friends.”

“Even so, you can tell me what’s bothering you,” Jared said.

“Nothing. Gilfoyle’s just a dumbass who’s making a huge mistake,” Dinesh said.

“He’s taking a leap because he’s in love. It’s beautiful,” Jared said.

“That’s not what love is. They’ve both only seen the best of each other,” Dinesh said. “You think she’d agree to marry him if she’d seen that he has dishes in his room that are growing mold on them? You think she’d overlook all the beard hairs he leaves in the bathroom sink? Does she talk to him when it’s not convenient? Sit there listening to him ramble when he’s on shrooms or talking him through the frustration when he’s really hung up on a tech problem? He should be with someone who’s been around him 24/7, seen all the shit and for whatever reason hasn’t run away scared. That’s love.”

“Oh my gosh,” Jared said. “You love him.”

“What?” Dinesh asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

“You’re the one. You’re the one who’s been around him 24/7 and seen all the stuff,” Jared said.

“No, I just… I’m just saying…” He frowned. “Oh my God.”

“You need to tell him,” Jared said.

Dinesh rolled his eyes. “This isn’t a movie, Jared. We’re not going to kiss in an airport terminal. In reality, if I said anything to him he’d just call me a gay slur, then run off to have his terrible two-month marriage.”

“You don’t know that,” Jared said.

“Yes, I do,” Dinesh said. “I’m not going to talk to him about this.” He sternly said, “And neither are you.”

Jared frowned, but nodded. “Of course. I would never tell anyone if you don’t want me to.”

“Good,” Dinesh said. He buried his face in his pillow and then gestured at the door.

“Right,” Jared said. “I’ll leave.” 

3\. Erlich

Erlich entered Dinesh’s room and headed straight for the bed.

“Um, it’s called knocking,” Dinesh said.

“Dinesh,” Erlich told him, putting a hand on his leg. “Marriage is a beautiful thing. A thing that should be celebrated. Even when it’s an impulsive decision that’s definitely going to end in annulment. I mean, that’s a beautiful milestone. My annulment was the best thing that ever happened to me.”

“... what?” Dinesh asked.

“Point is, just tell Gilfoyle you support him and you want him to be happy. Who cares if it’s the wrong decision? Right?” Erlich asked.

“I guess,” Dinesh mumbled. “I just think he’s being stupid and I hate him.”

“But, he’s still your friend, right?” Erlich asked.

Dinesh sighed and then nodded. 

“Alright. Let’s get back out there, bud,” Erlich said. “Because everyone thinks you’re outburst was super-weird and it’s just going to get worse the longer you stay here.”

Dinesh frowned as he followed Erlich back to the living room.

4\. Big Head

“Dinesh, man?” Big Head asked.

“Come in,” Dinesh said.

Big Head walked in and sat down next to Dinesh. “Listen, man, I totally get it. I mean, I think a lot about how when Richard gets married, I’ll lose my best friend.”

“Yeah, but it’s Richard, does that really ever seem like a concern?” Dinesh asked.

“I guess you’re right,” Big Head said. 

“And Gilfoyle’s not my best friend,” Dinesh said defensively.

“Right, right,” Big Head said agreeably. “But, he is, though, right, man?”

Dinesh sighed. “God, I’m pathetic.”

“Listen, man. When Gilfoyle’s busy with the married life or whatever… I’ll still hang out with you.”

Dinesh stared at him and cringed. “Just leave,” he said, burying his face in his pillow.

5\. Monica

Monica knocked on the door.

“Come in,” Dinesh called out.

Dinesh furrowed his eyebrows with surprise when he saw her. “I wasn’t expecting you,” he said.

“Yeah… no one else wanted to check on you,” Monica said, entering and closing the door behind him. 

Dinesh shrugged and said, “No one needed to.”

“Well,” Monica said gently. “You did get a tad emotional.”

“I wasn’t emotional. I just think it’s a bad decision,” Dinesh said.

“You know, when I was in high school, my best friend got pregnant and got married,” Monica told her.

Dinesh stared at her. “Wow,” he said. “Um, how’d that… are you still friends?”

“Nope,” Monica said. “I mean, we’re friends on Facebook. We send each other a few polite updates a year, but our friendship was never the same. And I personally think her life turned out worse because of the decisions she made.”

Dinesh furrowed his eyebrows. “I’m not sure what the point of this story is.”

Monica shrugged. “Sometimes our friends decide to do things and it just sucks,” she said.

Dinesh nodded. “Yeah,” he said, feeling a little less alone. 

“Want me to sneak you some of the alcohol from the living room?” Monica asked.

“Yeah. That’d be great,” Dinesh said. “Thanks, Monica.”

6\. Carla

Carla knocked on the door.

“Come in,” Dinesh called out.

Carla walked in and sat down next to him. “Dinesh. You have to tell him.”

“Tell him what? That he’s ruining his life?” Dinesh asked.

“No,” Carla said. “You know what. Do you want me to say it out loud?”

Dinesh stayed silent.

“You’re in love with Gilfoyle,” Carla said.

“Even if that were true, it wouldn’t matter now,” Dinesh said.

“I think he loves you too,” Carla said. “And that he just thinks he doesn’t have a chance.”

“What makes you so sure?” Dinesh asked.

“Well, I’m right about you, aren’t I?” Carla asked.

Dinesh sighed. He nodded slightly. 

“So. Seems like my intuition is pretty fucking good.”

“I don’t want to tell him,” Dinesh said. “Can you find out if he feels the same way and then--”

“No, because we’re not in middle school,” Carla said.

Dinesh sighed. “I’ll go talk to him,” he said.

7\. Gilfoyle

When Gilfoyle’s number came up, he frowned.

“That’s not fair. I’m the one he was a dick to, I shouldn’t have to deal with him,” Gilfoyle said.

“Well, if you had an objection, you should’ve made it before the integer was generated,” Richard said. “Now your object is inadmissible.”

Gilfoyle rolled his eyes. He banged Dinesh’s door. “Dinesh? Are you ready to tell me why you’re so fucking upset about how I choose to live my life?”

Dinesh opened the door. He crossed his arms and glared. “I wasn’t upset. I told you I don’t give a shit.”

“Yeah and then you ran from the room,” Gilfoyle said. “It seems like you kind of do give a fucking shit and I want to know why.”

Dinesh shook his head.

Gilfoyle walked in and closed the door. “Talk to me,” he said.

After a second, Dinesh furrowed his eyebrows. “Wait, why do you give a shit?”

“I don’t,” Gilfoyle said defensively.

“No, usually you don’t,” Dinesh said. “But now you clearly do. Why?”

Gilfoyle’s jaw tightened. “Do you really think it’s a mistake for me to propose to Tara?”

“Yeah, I really do,” Dinesh said. “She hasn’t lived with you. You don’t know if it’s real love.”

“So, what are you saying? I should ask her to get a place with me instead?”

Dinesh raised an eyebrow. “Can you actually afford that?” 

Gilfoyle rolled his eyes. “I want to move forward. I don’t want to keep…”

After a long time, Dinesh asked, “Yes?”

“I don’t want to keep being torn in two directions. I want to make a decision,” Gilfoyle said.

“Between Tara and…”

Gilfoyle looked down at the floor. There was a long silence and then Gilfoyle asked, “I’m just gonna ask you this one fucking time. Did you get upset because you want to be with me?”

Dinesh stared at him. “No,” he said. “No.”

“Okay,” Gilfoyle left.

Dinesh’s heart sank. He knew Gilfoyle. He knew that if he said he was only asking once, he meant it. 

He hurried into the hallway and called out, “Gilfoyle!”

Gilfoyle turned around and walked back to him.

“Yes,” Dinesh said. “Yes to everything. Please, please don’t ask her to marry you. I-- yes.”

Gilfoyle nodded and said, “Okay.”


End file.
